Spring Cleaning? Recycle Your Bras

I’ve a confession to make: I used to own more lingerie than a drag queen (and I say that with all compliments, ladies!). Victoria’s Secret was my little secret and beneath my superwoman exterior, I languished in silks, satins, and the velvets, the softer the better. Dressing for the boudoir was such an exquisite pleasure for me, I’m embarrassed to say I used to buy indiscriminate of need. Pretty white eyelet with scalloping? Gotta have it. Sultry black lace with ribbons and piping? Well, suffice it to say, even if I wasn’t a sure thing, the lingerie was.

Flash forward to today: the novelty’s worn off and sadly, instead of being one of life’s little pleasures, matching undergarments now seems rather superfluous. In fact, this post should be filed under “I used to be sexy” because nowadays, I’ll throw on any old thing and rush out the door. Pitiful, right?

But spreading the love got me thinking and when I spring clean in the next couple weeks, I’m going to donate some of my gently used (washed, of course) bras to charity. The Bra Recyclers is a wonderful organization, operating out of Arizona, where you can ship your bras (provided that they’re still in good, wearable condition) and play your part in supporting bosom buddies. Just remember to wash your bras and fill out the form before shipping them off!

Georgian word of the day: Fichu

A woman’s triangular kerchief worn to fill the low-cut neckline of a bodice. As necklines descended with daring plunges and ample cleavage, the fichu became popular among the more modest (or as can be imagined below, the cold) set. 1795-1805